QKD Oracles for Authenticated Key Exchange

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2509.12478v1
• Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2025 21:55:55 GMT
• Title: QKD Oracles for Authenticated Key Exchange
• Abstract summary: In particular, improper handling of QKD key IDs leads to Dependent-Key attacks on AKE.<n>We demonstrate the usability of our QKD oracle for cryptographic security analyses by integrating it into a prominent security model for AKE.<n>This is the first provably secure hybrid protocol that maintains information-theoretic security of QKD.
• Score: 1.3999481573773072
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: Authenticated Key Exchange (AKE) establishes shared ('symmetric') cryptographic keys which are essential for secure online communication. AKE protocols can be constructed from public-key cryptography like Key Encapsulation Mechanisms (KEMs). Another approach is to use Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) to establish a symmetric key, which uses quantum communication. Combining post-quantum AKE and QKD appropriately may provide security against quantum attacks even if only one of the two approaches turns out to be secure. We provide an extensive review of existing security analyses for combined AKE and their formal security models, and identify some gaps in their treatment of QKD key IDs. In particular, improper handling of QKD key IDs leads to Dependent-Key attacks on AKE. As our main conceptual contribution, we model QKD as an oracle that closely resembles the standard ETSI 014 QKD interface. We demonstrate the usability of our QKD oracle for cryptographic security analyses by integrating it into a prominent security model for AKE, called CK+ model, thereby obtaining a security model for combined AKE that catches Dependent-Key attacks. In this model, we formally prove security of a new protocol that combines QKD with a triple-KEM handshake. This is the first provably secure hybrid protocol that maintains information-theoretic security of QKD.

Related papers

• Beyond the Quantum Promise: A Security Analysis of Classical Control in Quantum Key Distribution [1.7842332554022695]
  Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols provide information-theoretic security by using quantum mechanical principles.<n>While ETSI and ITUT specifications standardize QKD architectures and interfaces, they evaluate protocol security in isolation.<n>This paper introduces a formal verification framework that holistically models QKD protocols based on ETSI and ITUT QKD specifications.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-08-07T10:18:05Z)
• Send the Key in Cleartext: Halving Key Consumption while Preserving Unconditional Security in QKD Authentication [59.664950447941386]
  Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols require Information-Theoretically Secure (ITS) authentication of the classical channel to preserve the unconditional security of the distilled key.<n>Since QKD requires mutual authentication, two independent one-time keys are typically consumed per round, imposing a non-trivial overhead on the net secure key rate.<n>We present a novel ITS authentication scheme based on $varepsilon$-Almost Strongly Universal$ ($varepsilon$-ASU$)
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-03-26T14:36:05Z)
• Quantum Key Distribution with Imperfections: Recent Advances in Security Proofs [0.0]
  Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) can enable two spatially separated parties to establish an information-theoretically secure encryption.<n>Security proofs robust against a wide range of eavesdropping strategies have established the theoretical soundness of several QKD protocols.<n>Most proofs are based on idealized models of the physical systems involved in such protocols and often include assumptions that are not satisfied in practical implementations.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-02-04T21:16:33Z)
• Quantum key distribution without authentication and information leakage [14.19611301695484]
  Quantum key distribution (QKD) is the most widely studied quantum cryptographic model.<n>We propose a new QKD variant that removes the need for a separate authentication mechanism.<n>Our design achieves (almost) perfect information-theoretic security with the protocol keys reusable.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-01-06T09:25:45Z)
• An introductory review of the theory of continuous-variable quantum key distribution: Fundamentals, protocols, and security [35.18016233072556]
  Continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) has emerged as a promising approach for secure quantum communication.<n>CV-QKD offers advantages such as high key generation rates, compatibility with standard telecommunication infrastructure, and potential for integration on photonic chips.<n>This review provides an accessible introduction to the theory of CV-QKD, aimed at researchers entering this rapidly developing field.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-12-01T15:03:19Z)
• Secure quantum key distribution against correlated leakage source [20.01403427477703]
  Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides information theoretic security based on quantum mechanics.<n>Among various source loopholes, correlations between transmitted pulses pose a significant yet underexplored security risk.<n>We propose a security analysis framework for QKD under correlations, enabling finite-key analysis for the first time.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-07-15T12:23:24Z)
• QKD-KEM: Hybrid QKD Integration into TLS with OpenSSL Providers [2.111102681327218]
  We propose a hybrid QKD-KEM protocol with two distinct integration approaches.<n>A client-initiated flow compatible with both ETSI 004 and 014 specifications, and a server-initiated flow similar to existing work but limited to stateless ETSI 014 APIs.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-03-10T11:24:38Z)
• High-Fidelity Coherent-One-Way QKD Simulation Framework for 6G Networks: Bridging Theory and Reality [105.73011353120471]
  Quantum key distribution (QKD) has been emerged as a promising solution for guaranteeing information-theoretic security.<n>Due to the considerable high-cost of QKD equipment, a lack of QKD communication system design tools is challenging.<n>This paper introduces a QKD communication system design tool.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-01-21T11:03:59Z)
• Secure Composition of Quantum Key Distribution and Symmetric Key Encryption [3.6678562499684517]
  Quantum key distribution (QKD) allows Alice and Bob to share a secret key over an insecure channel with proven information-theoretic security against an adversary whose strategy is bounded only by the laws of physics.<n>We consider the problem of using the QKD established key with a secure symmetric key-based encryption algorithm and use an approach based on hybrid encryption to provide a proof of security for the composition.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-01-14T20:58:02Z)
• Secure Multi-Party Biometric Verification using QKD assisted Quantum Oblivious Transfer [34.46964288961048]
  We present a practical implementation of a secure multiparty computation application enabled by quantum oblivious transfer (QOT)<n>The QOT protocol uses polarization-encoded entangled states to share oblivious keys between two parties with quantum key distribution (QKD) providing authentication.<n>A practical use case is demonstrated for privacy-preserving fingerprint matching against no-fly lists from Interpol and the United Nations.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-01-09T15:51:30Z)
• Practical hybrid PQC-QKD protocols with enhanced security and performance [44.8840598334124]
  We develop hybrid protocols by which QKD and PQC inter-operate within a joint quantum-classical network. In particular, we consider different hybrid designs that may offer enhanced speed and/or security over the individual performance of either approach.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-11-02T00:02:01Z)
• Quantum-Secured Data Centre Interconnect in a field environment [38.4938584033229]
  Quantum key distribution (QKD) is an established quantum technology at a high readiness level. In this article, we present the successful implementation of a QKD field trial within a commercial data centre environment. The achieved average secret key rate of 2.392 kbps and an average quantum bit error rate of less than 2% demonstrate the commercial feasibility of QKD in real-world scenarios.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-10-14T08:05:25Z)
• Finite-Key Analysis for Coherent One-Way Quantum Key Distribution [18.15943439545963]
  Coherent-one-way (COW) quantum key distribution (QKD) is a significant communication protocol that has been implemented experimentally and deployed in practical products. Existing security analyses of COW-QKD either provide a short transmission distance or lack immunity against coherent attacks in the finite-key regime. We present a tight finite-key framework for a variant of COW-QKD, which has been proven to extend the secure transmission distance in the case.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-09-28T03:32:06Z)
• Experimental Authentication of Quantum Key Distribution with Post-quantum Cryptography [3.627592297350721]
  We experimentally verified the feasibility, efficiency and stability of the PQC algorithm in QKD authentication. Using PQC authentication we only need to believe the CA is safe, rather than all trusted relays.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-09-10T04:12:07Z)
• Backflash Light as a Security Vulnerability in Quantum Key Distribution Systems [77.34726150561087]
  We review the security vulnerabilities of quantum key distribution (QKD) systems. We mainly focus on a particular effect known as backflash light, which can be a source of eavesdropping attacks.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-03-23T18:23:12Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.